SPRING!!! SPRINGETTY SPRING!

I managed to squeeze quite a few enjoyable jobs into today and knock a few things off my lengthy lists. The dodgy start to spring has had me writing lists and getting nowhere - until today. (I would say "we" managed to squeeze a few enjoyable jobs into today but I'm not sure how much Richard enjoyed it! )

The weather just got lovelier and lovelier as the day went on. After buying food for lunch and tonight's tea, we went off in search of strawberry and pepper seeds and other gardening/growing bits and bobs.

We were delighted that Gemma (in photo) agreed to come for a walk with us after lunch - I never expect the teens to want to do anything with us anymore, and we decided to take a route we'd never taken as a family before. It's silly that we know of so many footpaths and don't explore a bit more. I did forget to take my camera (!) but I enjoyed swinging my arms and feeling light. So iPhone pic only today.

It was take off your coat weather, skip through the country lanes weather, ma--aa-ah back at the sheep weather, take time and enjoy weather, no need to hurry out of the weather weather. The clouds were super fluffy and the sky just beamed a happy blue. Deep sky blue is the happiest colour in the world, but it works best when decorated with contrasting puffs of white. Lambs peeped through the hedges at us and daffodils lifted their their trumpets to blare at us from the hedgerows. They always look good up in the hedges - their yellow looking truly garish against the blue.

Back home I planted potatoes, watered the veg plot with nematodes, sowed carrot seeds and then removed a huge ivy plant that has been allowed to cause trouble for too many years.

I then made everyone a caesar salad for tea - with a paneer version for Gemma. Paneer is lovely and I'll be using it again. Gemma says she feels inconvenient turning veggie but I think maybe it's meat-eaters who are inconvenient (me included).

It's been good to be outside again. I need days like this so badly and to be allowed to feel happy. I've been feeling like I'm ready to be happier for so long now but not quite getting there. Things and other people can so easily get in the way of me just grabbing a bit of happy. I feel like screaming sometimes: "LOOK - I have trouble getting here! So be pleased for me and just don't ruin it because it won't last!!!"